Attorney: York County controller candidate has enough valid signatures

Attorneys have until noon Wednesday to submit written arguments over whether Republican York County controller candidate Bonner Smith can be on the May 21 primary ballot.

"It seems to me there's a significant number of invalid signatures that are on the petition," President Judge Stephen P. Linebaugh said near the end of a nearly two-hour hearing Tuesday.

But Smith's attorney, Christian Miller, said he thinks his client has enough valid ones to stay on the ballot.

Robb Green, the incumbent county controller who is running for re-election, last week challenged Smith's place on the ballot, saying his paperwork failed to meet the minimum standards of the state.

Green's challenge petition said Smith didn't have enough valid signatures and that his paperwork contains other defects, such as not including the title of the office he was seeking on each notarized affidavit.

A country controller candidates needs at least 250 valid signatures to appear on the ballot, and Smith handed in paperwork with 390 signatures, according to court paperwork and Nikki Suchanic, the county's director of elections and voter registration.

Green's challenge to Smith said that many of Smith's signatures were invalid because the person wasn't registered with the Republican Party, didn't live in York County, or for other reasons.

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On Tuesday, an attorney for Green, Marisa Button, went through a list of contested signatures with Suchanic, name by name. Afterward, Button thanked Suchanic for going though the "very tedious exercise."

During testimony, Suchanic said that dozens of signatures didn't meet certain standards. But there were others that she said did.

Button withdrew some challenges related to invalid addresses.

Smith, who is the mayor of Stewartstown and a registered nurse, was not at the hearing. Miller said Smith was out of town for personal reasons.

Linebaugh said he would review whether Smith did the paperwork properly, along with whether he has enough valid signatures.

"Some of them he was able to fill out correctly, and others he was not able to fill out correctly," Linebaugh said.

"It is always perplexing when candidates for office are unable to correctly complete a petition to have them placed on a ballot so they can run for office," Linebaugh added. "But, then again, I'm perplexed by that every year."@edmahonreporter; 771-2089

Other challenge

York County President Judge Stephen P. Linebaugh ruled Monday that New Freedom Councilman Gene Andrews can stay on the ballot for the May 21 primary, according to court documents.

Andrews is one of four seeking the Republican nomination for four seats in the primary.Marie Halapin, who challenged his spot on the ballot, wrote that Andrews failed to file a statement of financial interest with the local municipal office as required.

Andrews later responded, saying he provided the proper information but missed a deadline.

Andrews was not available for comment Tuesday. His wife, Inga, said they were happy with Linebaugh's decision.

"You still have justice," she said.

What's next?

Judges are supposed to make decisions on petition challenges by Wednesday , if possible, according to York County election materials.